Hanging baskets are an easy way to add some greenery to your interiors. Here Isabelle Palmer, West Hampstead’s Balcony Gardener, shows how to create cool, contemporary displays.
Wire baskets
I have used a wire hanging basket here. These normally come with silver chains and I removed these and replaced them with a black version I bought from a hardware shop. These are really inexpensive and I think look more stylish with the black iron work.
You will need a pair of pliers to bend these hooks off and over and affix the new chain in the reverse – this is really easy to do and takes a matter of minutes so don’t be scared!
Leave one of the chains unfixed to gain easy access to the basket.
The baskets normally come with a brown coconut fibre liner. To give your planter a more unique look there are a couple of options.
One is to spray the outside a dark colour such as black or dark grey, or you can buy a bright coloured felt to add a more contemporary feel. Just cut out the shape of the felt overlaid onto the coir and insert instead. To prevent too much water from escaping and dripping on floors and furniture, lay a plastic bin liner on top of the fibre/felt and cut around the edges where it overlaps the basket, making sure none of the black plastic is visible.
Layer about three inches of compost in the base of the basket. At soil level, make three cuts, 2-3cm across, through the bin liner and the fibre/felt at the sides of the basket.
Select plants for the sides of the basket and from the inside of the basket, push the plant through one of the holes until the root ball is snug against the liner. Firm the soil around the root balls.
Fill two thirds of the basket with soil and add another layer of plants. Continue to fill with compost, leaving a 3cm gap between the top of the compost and finish with planting up at the top.
Macramé
These planter holders are seeing a huge resurgence in popularity at the moment – perhaps because of the return of the 1970s in fashion – and are available in some lovely styles and really vibrant colours.
If you’re really feeling adventurous you can even make your own; there are lots of ‘how tos’ available on YouTube and across the internet.
I have used them here to adorn this four poster bed.
One small problem is finding places to hang the baskets from without having to start drilling, but I think that adds to the creativity as it makes you think outside the box.
I planted these terracotta pots into the hangers and used the plant Guzmania, a type of bromeliad.
These are rather fancy plants which have a taste for distilled or filtered water, but if this is too fussy for you, try tepid tap water.
What a beautiful sight to wake up to every day!
Vintage
There is no need to go for brand new hanging planters, you can also find some great vintage pieces on eBay and Etsy. They can add a real jewel-like effect.
This vintage brass pot with its metallic beauty really shows off the variegated ivy (Hedera Helix) in all its glory.
I have under-planted the plant with moss to finish it off and placed this in the bathroom.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here